Friday, June 13, 2003
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Friday, June 13, 2003 |
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Westmoreland makes it official Local legislator announces run for Congress By JOHN THOMPSON One of Georgia's political leaders who started his career in Fayette County kicked off his 2004 run for Congress Tuesday in Fayetteville before a large gathering of family and friends. In a series of announcements throughout the district, state Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Sharpsburg) announced he will seek Rep. Mac Collins' Eighth Congressional District seat in next year's election. Westmoreland is the minority leader in the state House of Representatives, the highest post among Republican members in the Democrat-controlled chamber. "A lot of you were in my living room in 1988 when I first decided to run, and I appreciate all the support," Westmoreland told an enthusiastic crowd at the Gazebo in Fayetteville. The Eighth District covers 18 counties, and Westmoreland said he's going "to have to buy a gas credit card" to cover all the landscape and meet the citizens. The district stretches from Muscogee County in the south to Carroll County in the west, Fayette in the north and Jasper County in the east. So far, he's met a lot of people in the district and knows what one of the main issues in the campaign will be. "We've got to get behind the president and get this economy going," he said. Westmoreland said he's represented nearly 200,000 out of the 700,000 in the district, and cautioned his supporters that it's going to be a tough race. "We don't know yet who all's going to run, but there will be some challenges." Between now and the election, Westmoreland will continue to serve as the leader of the House Republican Caucus and in the General Assembly. He said the race is also going to be expensive, and pegged the cost between $500,000 and $750,000. According to his Web site, www.lynnwestmoreland.com, "In 1976 the Westmorelands moved to Fayette County, where he started a building company, L.A.W. Builders. During his work in the construction industry, Rep. Westmoreland has worked in all aspects of the trade, including commercial and residential construction, land development, and served as a construction consultant for various governmental agencies. "Rep. Westmoreland is a licensed real estate broker and has also served as a mediator in various capacities.... "His political career did not begin until 1988 when he ran for state Senate. In 1992 he was elected state representative of the 104th district, which includes parts of Fayette and Coweta counties. His constituents have reelected him to his sixth term as a state representative. He now serves on the Appropriations, Legislative Services, Reapportionment, and Rules Committees," the site read. He now serves on the Christian City Advisory Board, the Safe Kids Council for Coweta and Fayette counties, and the Stakeholder's Advisory Committee for Kennesaw State University and is a member of the Midwest Georgia Homebuilder's Association, his web site states. He and his wife Joan have three children and two granddaughters, according to his web site. Also running for the post is state Sen. Mike Crotts of Conyers, the senior Republican member of that body whose District 18 covers a small portion of Fayette. Westmoreland said he plans to emphasize less government and less taxes on the campaign trail.
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